Bread (symbol)
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6-mile map of a type-5 hex with 3 bread, a type-6 hex with 2 bread and a type-8 (shape only) which is assumed to have 1 bread (not shown).
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Bread is a symbol used on game maps to represent the level of food production available within a given hex, serving as a measure of the world's ability to sustain its population. The quantity of bread assigned to a hex is determined by the hex type, which itself is a function of the region's infrastructure.
Hex types are classified on a scale from 1 to 8, with type-1 hexes representing the most highly civilised and agriculturally developed areas, while type-8 hexes indicate uncivilised wilderness with minimal food production. Consequently, type-1 and type-2 hexes yield the greatest amount of bread, reflecting extensive farming and organised food distribution, whereas type-7 and type-8 hexes provide only scarce resources, requiring inhabitants to rely on hunting, foraging or external supply.
| Hex Type % |
Bread Gained | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural | with Settlement | |
| 8 | 1 | – |
| 7 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 1 | 5 | 6 |
Bread Location
Bread is produced in cultivated or arable hexes, which consist primarily of farmland or pastureland. Unlike coins or hammers, bread production is more rigidly fixed, reflecting the structured nature of agriculture and food supply. Bread symbols represent surplus food — resources exceeding the needs of local residents. This means that while a type-6 hex produces more total food than a type-7 hex, it also has a larger population consuming that food, resulting in an equivalent surplus.
Hex types 1 through 7 are classified as "cultivated" hexes, actively contributing to food production. Some type-8 hexes are considered "arable" but remain uncleared, particularly in temperate climates, when adjacent to cultivated hexes or when they possess sufficient water sources. These hexes supply food through foraging and hunting, allowing them to add to the overall surplus, even if they lack formal agriculture.
Hexes designated as "mined" (see hammer location) are not considered arable. While some food may exist within these hexes, it is only enough for basic subsistence and does not contribute to the larger food surplus.
Methods of Production
Agricultural output is influenced by both soil quality and the farming practices employed within a hex. A type-4 hex is assumed to have better soil than a type-5, as its classification through the infrastructure assignment method indicates that it is more suitable for sustaining a larger population. However, productivity is not solely dependent on natural fertility — effective organisation of labour and mastery of local conditions play a crucial role in maximising yield.
The table below provides a general overview of the types of agricultural practices associated with different bread values and hex types, reflecting both environmental suitability and the level of human intervention applied to the land.
| # Bread | When Occurring in this Type | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type-8 | Type-7 | Type-6 | Type-5 | Type-4 | Type-3 | Type-2 | Type-1 | |
| 1 | hinterland | 2 bread minimum | 3 bread minimum | 4 bread minimum | 5 bread minimum | |||
| 2 | 1 bread maximum | land clearance, open-field farming | ||||||
| 3 | crop rotation | irrigation, surveying | strip farming | livestock farming | mixed farming | |||
| 4 | 3 bread maximum | land tenure | estate management, game reserve | terracing | ||||
| 5 | 4 bread maximum | market gardening | specialised crops | |||||
| 6 | 5 bread maximum | labour-intensive agriculture | ||||||
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The table should be interpreted such that a given hex type and its corresponding bread value encompass all practices to the left and above that entry. For instance, a type-5 hex with a bread value of 3 would include not only land tenure but also strip farming and all the agricultural methods listed under type-8, type-7 and type-6 hexes. However, as hex types improve, the amount of hinterland within the hex diminishes. By the time a hex reaches type-1, it has no hinterland at all, representing fully developed and densely populated land.
Physical Production
Surplus agricultural production is quantified based on the number of people a single bread symbol can feed annually, assuming a daily caloric intake of approximately 2600 to 3400 calories. The number of persons supported is calculated by treating the bread value as a power of 2 minus 1:
- 1 bread = 2¹ - 1 = 1
- 2 bread = 2² - 1 = 3
- 3 bread = 2³ - 1 = 7
- 4 bread = 2⁴ - 1 = 15
- 5 bread = 2⁵ - 1 = 31
- 6 bread = 2⁶ - 1 = 63
To determine the total number of people supported, this value is multiplied by 70, representing the population sustained by surplus food from that hex.
For example:
- Type-8 hexes (with 1 bread) support 70 additional persons beyond those living within the hex.
- Type-6 hexes (with 3 bread) support 210 additional persons (7 × 70).
- Type-5 hexes (with 4 bread) support 490 additional persons (15 × 70).
This system accounts for both agricultural capacity and the effect of population density on available surplus.
See also,
Coin (symbol)
Hammer (symbol)
The Adventure
